The suit filed with the ECHR is a response to a December ruling of the U.K.'s Investigatory Powers Tribunal which found that mass surveillance of Internet traffic by tapping fiber optic cables going in and out of the U.K. and intelligence sharing between the U.S. and the U.K. was lawful in principle and did not violate human rights.

However, the groups said, mass spying has major consequences for people's privacy and freedom of expression and it is ridiculous that the government has been allowed to rely on secret policies.

Mass surveillance is illegal and intercepting communications of millions of people every day is neither necessary nor proportionate, they said, adding that no-one is above the law and the ECHR should make that clear.

Loek is Amsterdam Correspondent and covers online privacy, intellectual property, online payment issues as well as EU technology policy and regulation for the IDG News Service. Follow him on Twitter at @loekessers or email tips and comments to loek_essers@idg.com

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